I found a dog/cat. What should I do now?

Take the animal to the vet to check for a micro-chip. Veterinarians do this free of charge and without appointments.

Post to BOTH the lost-and-found AND the pets sections on Craigslist as well as all of the relevant Lost and Found Facebook pages and other websites listed below. (www.craigslist.com). Check Craigslist postings daily.

If the dog or cat is found in East Nashville be sure to contact Jack Kitsch through the East Nashville and Inglewood Lost and Found Pets page. She will create a color flyer for you to post as instructed below.

Post fliers with minimal information (location/date found, picture, and your contact information.) throughout the neighborhood (coffee shops, bars, grocery stores, the dog park, etc). We are always surprised at how many people don’t use the internet, and our neighborhood mail carriers are very helpful with lost-and-found pets. Email a flyer to animal control and the humane association.

East CAN recommends giving owners at least 2 weeks to come forward and claim their pet. Please ask for proof of ownership (pictures, vet records, knowledge of unique markings/traits, etc) before returning the animal. Encourage the owners to put a tag on their pet’s collar (or have one made for them) or even get their pet microchipped.

If no owners come forward, it may be time to re-home the pet. Send a picture and information about the animal (where/when found, age, size, gender, energy level, tolerances [children, dogs, cats, car-rides, baths, etc]) to East CAN at info@eastcan.org. Please also include a list of efforts you have made to find the owner. Based on the information you provide to us, we will determine what further assistance we may be able to provide.

I lost my pet! What should I do?

Post to BOTH the lost-and-found AND the pets sections on Craigslist. (www.craigslist.com). Check Craigslist postings daily.

Post fliers throughout the neighborhood (coffee shops, bars, grocery stores, the dog park, etc). We are always surprised at how many people don’t use the internet, and our neighborhood mail carriers are very helpful with lost-and-found pets. Deliver a flyer to animal control and the humane association.

Check with Metro Animal Care and Control. (615-862-7928; 5125 Harding Pl 37211; www.nashville.gov/Health-Department/Animal-Control.aspx). Please visit MACC every three business days. While their employees may try to work with you over the phone, they are often overwhelmed and dogs that are at the facility are in different stages of paperwork and input into their system. Please do not trust the life of your pet to a phone call.

I want to adopt a dog/cat.

Visit our Adoptables page to get more information about the adoptable animals we currently have available. If you are interested in one of the animals you see, email us with the name of the animal in question, and be sure to include information on the kind of home you can provide the animal. Also include a completed Adoption Application (we have a Word doc and a PDFavailable.) If you don’t see an animal that fits your lifestyle listed on our website currently, send us an email containing details of what exactly you are looking for. We can check to see if there is a match in our network, or notify you when we come across an available pet that fits your requirements.

What is East CAN’s adoption process?

Complete the Adoption Application in full and return it via email to info@eastcan.org. Once we receive your paperwork, we will email you to set up a meet and greet. We will also check your references and if we all decide to proceed to the next steps we will do a home visit and then a 2 week trial visit. We do not sign contracts or require fee payment until the 2 week trial is complete and all parties have decided it is a good fit and the adoption should be finalized.

We will put a courtesy post on our websites to assist with re-homing as long as you agree to continue housing them and to remain as your pet’s advocate in finding them a new home rather than going through the trauma of being left at animal control.

Contact other rescues – both local and long distance – and check for breed-specific rescues if appropriate

Use social media, etc. to let all your friends, family, and acquaintances know

IMPORTANT: IF YOU ARE ADOPTING YOUR PET TO A STRANGER, you should request a re-homing fee, perform a home visit, and check his/her personal references. PLEASE do not give your pet away for free to someone you do not personally know and trust. Thoroughly investigate any person and/or rescue that you are considering. Please view this news story for an example of what may happen to your pet in the hands of a fraudulent “rescue.”

Where can I go to get my pet spayed/neutered?

In addition, Nashville Humane offers a “Friends of Animals” program. You may purchase Friends of Animals spay and neuter certificates at the Nashville Humane Association and take the certificate to a participating Veterinarian for the operation. See the NHA website for full details.

Do you know of any foster programs for Military families?

What can I do about the feral cats in my neighborhood?

Call the Pet Community Center to find out information about their Trap/Neuter/Release program.

Call The Cat Shoppe in Berry Hill and reserve some humane cat traps. They will loan them for a $50 cash deposit.

Set them with food in the back of the trap and cover the traps so they seem more cave like.

Once you have one in a trap – call Value Vet for appointment to spay/neuter and tested for feline aids/leukemia.

Keep the cats in the traps— feed and water them in there until their vet appointment.

If this appointment is more than 3 days away you should let the cat go and try again another time or try another vet. The cat will obviously be stressed in the trap and to contain them at length is unfair.

Take the cat to the vet in the crate.

Have the vet do a feline aids/leukemia/heart worm test prior to surgery.

If the test is positive: it is advised to have the vet euthanize the cat, otherwise it will die a long, slow and painful death. The fee for this would be $37.50 test, $87.50 for euthanize.

If the test is negative: vaccinate against feline aids and leukemia.
Fees for test (37.50), vaccine (30), and spay/neuter (40.00).

Financial Assistance: Hopefully your neighbors will contribute as well to get their street cats spayed/neutered. If you are not able to come up with enough to cover the costs for each cat, East C.A.N. will contribute based on our current level of available funds.

Fix for Life: If you are able to make an appointment and take the cat to Fix For Life in Lebanon for their Snip & Tip program, East C.A.N. will pay 100%. (IT’S FREE). Note: FFL does not perform feline leukemia/aids tests.

Pet Community Center: Contact Anna Henley regarding the Feline Fix program, a “Trap-Neuter-Return-Manage initiative for community cats.” www.felinefixtn.org or
615-512-5001.

What are some options for pet owners struggling in this economy?

The following is a list of organizations that provide financial assistance to pet owners in need. Please keep in mind that this is certainly not an exhaustive list and each organization is independent and has their own set of rules and guidelines. Therefore you will have to investigate each one individually to determine if you qualify for assistance:

Where can I turn for help with emergency vet expenses?

What can I do if I’m having trouble buying food for my pet?

The Nashville Humane Association has a Food Bank that operates from 1-4pm every Sunday and Wednesday. To be eligible, bring with you 1) proof your animal has been spayed or neutered; 2) a valid TN License or TN ID (to prove you live in Davidson County;) and 3) evidence that you are on Govt. Assistance, unemployed, or low income. Bring whatever proof you can of any of these things. It’s not their objective to turn people away. For more information, call (615)352-1010.